JD Vance’s Secret Service Code Name Is Revealed

The Secret Service has reportedly assigned a new code name to vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance amidst ongoing criticism and outrage following former President Donald Trump’s near-death experience on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Vance’s code name is “Bobcat,” according to a report from the Daily Mail citing one of Vance’s friends.

Presidents, vice presidents, first ladies, and other prominent figures under Secret Service protection are given code names.

Both Ohio University and Breathitt County High School in Jackson, Kentucky—the hometown Vance discusses in his best-selling memoir "Hillbilly Elegy" (2016)—are known as the “Bobcats.”

“Once used for clandestine purposes to protect the nation’s top leaders, these code names are now largely ceremonial in the age of encrypted technology, aiding in fast, high-pressure communication,” Fox News reported.

“Code names are chosen by ‘sheer whim,’ a Secret Service spokesperson once told The Washington Post. However, they often have some link to the individual’s personal history or heritage. Family members' code names typically follow alliteration traditions,” the outlet added.

Some critics suggest that former President Trump should reconsider his choice of vice president, proposing that he select someone other than Republican Ohio Sen. JD Vance.

However, Frank Luntz, a noted pollster known for his anti-Trump stance, disagrees.

Speaking to CNN, he stated that Sen. Vance appeals to a crucial segment of the electorate necessary for Trump’s success.

“He chose to double down. And JD Vance comes from the background that Trump’s focusing on, so he’s credible. And he’s got the language because this is how he grew up,” Luntz said. “To me, the most important segment of the population, the one that makes or breaks, are these paycheck-to-paycheck voters, people who have jobs, they’ve been working, they may not be college graduates, and they’re struggling. And it represents one-fourth of the American electorate. Normally, they vote Democrat over Republican by about two to one. Trump brought it to three to two, even closer. That segment, if they break for Harris, she’s the next president. If Trump can keep them, he’s the next president.”

“JD Vance appeals to them because … it’s who he was. It’s not a segment we talk about. It’s not a segment we see. I get them in focus groups because I go out to these states, but they are really suffering,” he said. “The economy is not doing well for them. These are not shareholders, these are not people who have a cushion. If they get fired or one check doesn’t work, they could lose their homes, they could lose their cars. And we are very sympathetic towards them as a country. Watch, because I think that’s going to be the focus going forward.”

WATCH:

Recent polling data supports the former president’s choice of Vance.

A new Rasmussen Reports poll indicates that 51% of likely voters approve of the Ohio senator as the vice-presidential pick, with 31% strongly approving.

“The 39-year-old Vance is the youngest vice presidential pick since Dwight D. Eisenhower chose Richard Nixon in 1952. Seventy-five percent (75%) of Republican voters approve of Vance as their party’s VP choice, including 52% who Strongly Approve. Vance also garners approval from 30% of Democrats and 48% of voters not affiliated with either major party,” the report stated.

“The survey of 995 U.S. Likely Voters was conducted on July 15-16, 2024 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.

“Fifty-two percent (52%) of whites, 40% of black voters, 55% of Hispanics and 47% of other minorities approve of Vance as the Republican vice-presidential candidate,” it added.

Vance received approval from 54% of men, 47% of women, 47% of voters under 40, and 51% of those older.

“Fifty-two percent (52%) of self-identified conservative voters Strongly Approve of Vance as the GOP’s vice-presidential candidate, as do 17% of moderates and 13% of liberals,” the report stated.

“The choice of Vance as Trump’s running mate is approved by 58% of government employees, 48% of private sector workers, 54% of entrepreneurs, and 50% of retirees,” it continued.

Sen. Vance has not hesitated to express his views since being chosen as Trump’s vice-presidential candidate.

Vance stated that if President Biden is unfit to run for office due to cognitive concerns, he should also step down from the presidency.

“Everyone calling on Joe Biden to stop running without also calling on him to resign the presidency is engaged in an absurd level of cynicism,” Vance wrote on the X platform. “If you can’t run, you can’t serve. He should resign now.”